The Signal Hill

News Release: For Immediate Release
January 18, 2010

ABBOTSFORD, BC--A new poll by Angus Reid Public Opinion reveals a desperate need for education about many important aspects of abortion in Canada, says Yvonne Douma, Executive Director of Signal Hill, a Canadian human rights organization dedicated to educating the public about vital life issues.

The Angus Reid survey of 1,002 adult Canadians found not only that a large majority of Canadians believe that provincial governments should provide more information about options to abortion, but also that most Canadians are misinformed about the legal status of abortion.

"These findings provide further evidence of a profound disconnect between what the public needs and wants, and what it actually receives," says Douma. "And while it’s a shame that most Canadians do not realize that abortion is legal at all stages in this country--even while the majority believe some restrictions ought to be in place--it’s also heartening that a large majority recognize the need for education about alternatives to abortion."

The poll found that four-in-five Canadians (80%) are unaware of the current legal status of abortion in the country: women being able to have an abortion at any time during their pregnancy, with no legal restrictions whatsoever. In fact, a significant proportion of respondents (43%) wrongly assume that an abortion can only be performed in the first trimester of pregnancy.

Douma says these findings underscore the importance of Signal Hill’s ongoing work to deliver accurate and constructive information so that Canadians can make informed, healthy and life-valuing decisions. "We believe that all Canadians have a fundamental human right to be fully informed about all aspects of life critical issues, including abortion," she explains. Four-in-five Canadians (79%) back an initiative that would make it mandatory for health care workers to offer information to pregnant women about alternatives to abortion. This initiative has the strong support of half of Canadian women across the country.

The poll also found that just one-in-four Canadian women (26%) endorse the current legal status, and two-thirds call for different approaches to regulate abortion in Canada.

"Women and families have a right to know all the options and support available to them when confronted with an unplanned pregnancy." Douma goes on to say. "Unfortunately, this is not happening today. It is Signal Hill’s mandate to provide this information with clarity and support." For more information about the work of Signal Hill or to find out how you can donate, visit www.thesignalhill.com or contact Yvonne Douma at 1-877-7SIGNAL.

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Full results can be accessed at Vision Critical, Canadian Public Opinion Poll

Signal Hill urges Canadians to become better educated about the risks associated with abortion

In the wake of news that abortionist Henry Morgentaler has been appointed to the Order of Canada, Signal Hill is extending an offer of assistance to the many Canadian women, men and children whose lives have been adversely affected by abortion.

Morgentaler’s activism led to a Supreme Court of Canada decision in 1988 striking down the country’s law regulating abortions. As a result, Canada now records about 100,000 abortions a year.

Signal Hill, a pro-family, human-rights advocacy group, believes human life ought to be protected from conception until natural end, and that abortion poses many physical and psychological dangers to women.

"We believe Canadians should be better educated about the risks associated with abortion," says Yvonne Douma, Executive Director of Signal Hill. "We are confident that, if a woman is fully informed and shown all of the options and support available to her, she will rarely choose abortion."

Women in a crisis pregnancy, or women and families suffering the pain of an abortion, are urged to call 1-877-88WOMAN or visit www.thesignalhill.com for compassionate help.

For more information please email Yvonne Douma at info@thesignalhill.com.

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For more information, please contact:
Yvonne Douma or Natalie Hudson at 1-877-7SIGNAL.

Canadians still deeply divided on issue of abortion

Tuesday, June 24, 2008

For Immediate Release

A comprehensive independent poll has found that less than half of Canadians support unrestricted access to abortion.

The poll of 1,003 randomly selected Canadians was conducted earlier this month by Angus Reid Strategies. It found only 46 percent of respondents support the idea that abortion should be permitted in all cases—the current legal status in the country.

Furthermore, less than half of those surveyed think abortion should be legal under any circumstances, and only 43 percent say the health-care system should fund abortions whenever they are requested. On the other hand, 53 percent want women under the age of 18 to obtain parental consent to have an abortion.

"Clearly, abortion issue has not been laid to rest," said Yvonne Douma, Executive Director of Signal Hill, a new human-rights advocacy group which made the poll public. "Many Canadians are clearly uncomfortable with the status quo." There have been no restrictions to access to abortion in Canada since the Supreme Court of Canada struck down the law regulating the procedure in 1988.

Statistics Canada reported in May that 97,000 abortions were performed in the country in 2005—a decrease of three percent compared with the previous year. "We believe that with better education and more awareness, the number of abortions being performed will decrease even more," Douma said. "The poll undoubtedly shows there’s an appetite for change."

Signal Hill is a human rights advocate providing information on life issues, women’s health and family support. Signal Hill believes that everyone has the right to make informed decisions, and that education on these issues be delivered with clarity and individual support.

The poll was conducted on June 4 and 5, 2008. The margin of error is plus or minus 3.1 percent, 19 times out of 20.

Link to the Angus Reid Poll: http://angusreidstrategies.com/uploads/pages/pdfs/2008.06.20_Abortion.pdf. For more information please email Yvonne Douma at info@thesignalhill.com.

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For more information, please contact:
Yvonne Douma or Natalie Hudson at 1-877-7SIGNAL.

Poll shows 92 percent of Canadians uninformed on abortion status quo

January 12, 2009

An Angus Reid poll has found that a vast majority of Canadians do not know, under the country’s current legal situation that abortion is permitted at any time from conception up to the moment of birth.

The poll results have been made public on the heels of a late-December declaration by Dimitri Soudas, a spokesperson for Prime Minister Stephen Harper, that the Conservative government has no intention of reopening the abortion debate in Canada.

The Angus Reid poll found that 92 percent of the respondents did not know abortion was available to a woman throughout the full nine months of gestation.

Significantly, a June 2008 poll by Angus Reid Strategies found that 46 percent of Canadians approve of the Canadian legal status quo, even if—as the more recent poll shows—they do not actually understand what the status quo is.

The new poll also found that respondents wanted information to be readily available to women contemplating abortion. Fully 95 percent said all information about all options should be made available to women, and 95 and 96 percent (respectively) said that information about the physical and psychological effects of abortion should be made available.

"Canadian women have a right to know," said Yvonne Douma, Executive Director of Signal Hill, a human rights organization whose mandate is to provide accurate information to the public on these and other life issues (www.thesignalhill.com).

The poll also found that an overwhelming number of respondents did not support a woman’s right to abort a fetus because of its gender, a practice that is legal in Canada. Only six percent supported a woman’s right to choose abortion when the fetus is an undesirable gender, usually female.

"Society recognizes that choice is not an absolute," said Douma. "Some choices cannot be supported as is evident with gender selection abortions. But informed consent is vital to making good choices, and we do not see women getting all the information they need when making these life-changing decisions."

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For more information, please contact:
Yvonne Douma or Natalie Hudson at 1-877-7SIGNAL.